FULLERTON : Ackerman Won’t Seek Fourth Term

Saying that he believes in “self term limitation,” Councilman Richard C. Ackerman, a 12-year veteran of the City Council, announced Monday that he will not seek a fourth term.

“I believe it is time for some new thoughts and ideas as to how the city of Fullerton can maintain the level of excellence which it has attained,” said Ackerman, 49, who served as mayor in 1982 and from 1986 to 1988, and currently serves as mayor pro tem.

“People have to rotate out of there after a while and not stay there for life.”

Ackerman, a former president of the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce, was elected to the City Council in 1980. He campaigned on a platform of improving relations between Fullerton and its business community.

“When he was first elected to the council, he made very clear to all the staff that he felt the highest priority was turning around the business climate in Fullerton,” said former councilwoman Linda LeQuire, who served on the council for eight years with Ackerman.

The sales tax base in Fullerton has more than doubled--from $6 million to $12.7 million--since Ackerman became a council member. Ackerman mentioned the increase in revenue during his announcement that he will not seek reelection.

“I think business people felt they had a spokesman in him,” said Councilwoman Molly McClanahan.” But that doesn’t mean he rolled over when they asked for something either.”

Ackerman also worked closely with officials at Cal State Fullerton. He is a member of the University Advisory Board and a member of the university’s Titan Athletic Foundation. He is co-chairman of the campaign to raise funds for a sports complex under construction at the university.

“He will be missed,” Mayor Don Bankhead said. “I don’t believe there is another university and city that can cooperate with one another in the state as we have here in Fullerton.”

A Fullerton resident since 1972, Ackerman is a partner in the Fullerton law firm of Ackerman, Mordock & Bowen, which specializes in business and corporate law.

Ackerman said he plans to remain in Fullerton and hopes to remain active in politics and community affairs.

“I want to run for another office in the future,” he said, declining to be more specific. “I’ll have to see what comes up.”

Ackerman said demands on the time of City Council members have increased dramatically since he was first elected.

“People are expecting more and more,” Ackerman said. “Most people running for City Council don’t know what they’re getting into.”

But he stressed that his years on the council had been “a real enjoyable experience.”

Meanwhile, four people have filed to run for election to the City Council in November and another 14 have taken out candidacy papers.

Bankhead and Councilman Chris Norby, whose terms also expire this year, have announced that they will run for reelection but have not yet filed papers.